


Dusk

by limewire



Series: A Hunter's Woes Written in Green [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Defected Psion (Destiny), Exo Guardian (Destiny) - Freeform, Gen, The Red War (Destiny)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 23:02:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17313521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limewire/pseuds/limewire
Summary: An Exo Hunter by the name of Keylime-3 stumbles upon a Psion in the EDZ who wishes to defect from the Red Legion.





	Dusk

The dead of winter in Earth's northern hemisphere. Dark as hell, cold as hell… Why did he have to do a run right at sunset when it felt like even the hottest fire could be turned to ice..?

At least, that's how this Hunter felt as he sped down the valley of the EDZ on his sparrow, kicking up snow and leaving blown-off trails on the ice in his wake. He was alone this time, with his Warlock father on the comms, seeing how it was just a small group of Cabal that was reported. Considering his current loadout, he should be able to handle this easily.

He neared the coordinates that were given to him by Devrim, his sparrow slowing to a stop and transmatting away to allow him a stealthy sneak. Cabal didn't exactly have the best hearing in the galaxy.

His bright green optics squinted dimly behind his helmet at the group that he was lead up to, hiding behind a brush of foliage with perfect stillness. His view flitted between who was present, and be counted…

… Six Legionaries and a single Psion, all of them looking like they were guarding resources for pickup. This will be easy. Or, well… What he might deem as easy for him.

Very quietly, he reached behind his cloak and his hand clasped around an arc grenade, not taking his sight off of the red-armoured group that he was about to decimate. He slowly turned his body and winded his arm back, flicking off the safety before throwing it with great speed.

It hit the ground with a loud crack, catching the attention of at least 4 of the Legionaries. They didn't even have time to react before it blew open and a bolt chained between them, sending a deadly burning shock through all their bodies.

Now he was revealed. The hunter sprung out of the bushes with guns blazing, the remaining Legionaries turning their attention to him and firing. A few blazing shots scathed his armour, but in the dark it was easy for him to avoid their poor aim. It didn't take long for him to neutralize them with his main kinetic weapon before he turned the corner of a cargo box…

And was met with someone cowering.

That single Psion he spotted, now on the ground with her own weapon dropped. The hunter paused, then hesitated. He didn't kill anyone who cowered, but… When was the last time he encountered someone who cowered? Was there even a last time for that?

The smoking barrel of his weapon lowered, but he didn't put it away just yet. Rather he stood there, not saying anything, staring down at the smaller alien with a rather perplexed look.

Slowly but surely, a singular orange iris peeked out from behind the pair of hands that covered the Psion's face, looking up to the Guardian that she thought was going to kill her without a chance to plead or escape. Rather she was staring right back at the visor of a helmet, faceless but still confused.

The Hunter knew something was wrong. He recalled back to something he read on the Tower, something about how the Cabal had enslaved the Psions for their own interest centuries ago. He hadn't given it much thought, knowing that he had to kill anything who tried to kill him, but right now… Something overcame him. 

He couldn't kill this one.

He mounted his gun behind his cloak and sat down, pulling his hood back and fussing with some buckles to undo his helmet. He lifted it off and revealed an Exo's face, carbon fiber black with green markings and optics making up his aesthetic outer shell and lenses.

The Psion stared back at him, looking over his face and wondering why a Guardian of all people would reveal themselves to a species as low as she was. A long and confused silence filled the air for the moment, the only noises present being that of nature and distant pops of gunfire.

“... Why don't you kill me?” She finally spoke up, words slightly muffled behind the helmet that decorated her head. The hunter took a moment to process the question, optics flitting along the ground before his line of sight returned to hers.

“I don't kill anything that surrenders. And you surrendered. That, and… I can't imagine what being forced to work for the Cabal must be like.”

Another long silence.

“And so what now? Will I have to be forced to work for the  _ Guardians _ next?”

“Not forced.” He started, picking up a stick to fiddle with. “At least, you shouldn't be. But I do know that we can help you, and that you could help us in some ways as well. Living as a slave isn't a way to live.”

“... How?”

“You can live with all of us, up on the Tower or something. You seem nice enough.”

“And not just for intel on the Legion?”

“I mean, that information will be useful, but… It shouldn't be the only reason you're there, you know? Then we'd just be using you. That's no fun.”

She was able to see into his voice and intentions, all of them genuine. How someone like a Guardian would be willing to help her after fighting with the Red Legion was lost on her, but… If it was a chance to get away from a lifetime of enslavement, then she wasn't about to turn it down. 

She reached up and a few clicks were heard, the elegant white mask that framed her head lifting off to uncover the rest of her face. The Hunter took a moment to look over her features, subconsciously noting that there was a lot of things about a race like hers that humans would find freaky or disturbing. Pale white and blood red skin, many visible veins, a single eye outlined with dark marks… But he didn't find her to look freaky. He's seen  _ really _ freaky things during his time as a Guardian, but something as simple as extraterrestrial races didn't faze him, and certainly not extraterrestrials who didn't want to kill him on sight. 

He stood up and pressed something, and in a second his sparrow transmatted back to his location. He climbed on the seat and looked back to the Psion, holding out a hand for her to take.

“Come on now, before the Legion sends down more of their goons. Don't worry about Devrim or the Vanguard, I'll be able to explain and I'm sure they'll understand.”

Slowly and with hesitancy she inched forward, her smaller digits grasping on as the Hunter pulled her up to her feet and allowed her to seat herself behind him.

“Now hold on.  _ Tight.  _ And make sure your butt doesn't get charred by the engine's afterburner.”

A flame ignited in the rear of the vehicle and it surged forward in speed, quickly accelerating through the tight turns and paths that trailed throughout the EDZ. The Psion held on tight, just as he had told her to, watching the landscape pass by as they sped along.

“What's your name?” He turned his head back for a quick moment to speak, needing to shout over the burning roar of his sparrow.

“... Most of us are nameless, and… I never really had any nicknames.”

“... Huh. Well, I'm Keylime-3. I'm not good with making names, but how about something like… Shit, I don't know, uhhh…” He glanced among the landscape to try and grab an idea, looking up to the sky first. It still had the dying daylight's glow of dusk. He looked to the ground and spotted a dusklight shard that quickly flew by his view.

“... Dusk.”

“Dusk?”

“Does it sound good?”

“... Does it have a meaning?”

“The time between day and night, when the sun is setting on the glowing horizon. Look west for a reference.”

She turned her head to the mentioned direction and saw what he had been describing, the normally blindingly radiant star that crossed the Earth's sky was now dulled in red, bathing the clouds and horizon in the same colour before it and it's warmth would sink into the night.

Out of every planet and moon she's seen on ships or been deployed on… She's never actually had the chance to stop and see the beauty that each world holds.

“... I think I like that name.”


End file.
